3 Great DC Characters That the Arrowverse Screwed Up

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The CW network’s popularity surge in the 2010s can be largely attributed to DC Comics’ Arrowverse. This collection of shows, including Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Superman and Lois, Black Lightning, and Batwoman, brought some of DC’s most iconic tales to life on television, with a focus on the Green Arrow and The Flash. However, the Arrowverse occasionally faltered in handling significant storylines, sometimes leaving important details unexplored while rushing through or underdeveloping certain aspects. Despite its occasional missteps, history will generally look favorably upon the Arrowverse due to its more successes than failures, but when it stumbled, it truly struggled.

1) The CW’s Mister Terrific Didn’t Live Up to His Namesake

In the realm of DC Comics, Mister Terrific is a name shared by two distinguished superheroes. The inaugural character, a self-made millionaire and an athletic Olympian, took up vigilantism during the Golden Age. His contemporary, who recently starred in the movie ‘Superman’, is Michael Holt – a genius inventor known for developing T-Spheres, versatile drones used in his crime-fighting endeavors. He’s also recognized as the third smartest person on Earth (as per DC lore), an achievement that becomes more impressive when you learn he holds 14 doctoral degrees and once successfully hacked into the Justice League mainframe, a system initially set up by Batman.

An audacious tech magnate known as Mister Terrific, who appears impressively formidable on paper, is one of the most stylish characters in comic books. He boasts immense wealth, has the ability to conceive virtually any invention he concentrates upon, sports a trendy leather jacket, and has even competed in the Olympics for his country.

Regrettably, the portrayal of Curtis Holt, also known as Mr. Terrific, in the Arrowverse deviates significantly from his comic book roots. In this version, he’s an awkward and unpolished fighter who mostly assists Team Arrow with tech support while they combat street-level crimes. Despite his intelligence, Mr. Terrific in the Arrowverse is excessively geeky, and his shyness and poor fighting skills diminish his heroic image. Fortunately, James Gunn has since revamped his cinematic image with a brilliant adaptation in Superman. If the creative team had remained faithful to the character in Arrow, Mr. Terrific could have significantly enhanced the series.

2) Speedy and Arsenal Failed as Quality Heroes (and Sidekicks)

In a similar vein, much like Batman, Arrow has gathered several protégés during his career. The most notable of these are Speedy and Arsenal, two skilled archers who transformed into vigilantes following their admiration for the protector of Starling City.

In the CW series Arrow, Speedy is Thea Queen, Oliver’s spoiled, easily irritated younger sister. A nightclub owner and party animal during her early adulthood, Thea was more party promoter than hero in the series, but in Season 3, she is abruptly thrust into the vigilante role on Team Arrow.

The swift change from being a drug-dependent partygoer to an accomplished archer in such a short time span gave the impression that Green Arrow’s exceptional skill was not as extraordinary as it seemed, implying that anyone could potentially master archery. Furthermore, the complicated narrative surrounding Thea’s involvement with the League of Shadows and its Lazarus Pit added to the confusion. Similarly, Roy Harper, later known as Arsenal, underwent an unexpectedly rapid transformation into an accomplished archer under Oliver’s guidance, despite having no prior experience in archery. Remarkably, both Arsenal and Speedy struggled as members of Team Arrow, making their meteoric rise to hero status even more challenging to comprehend.

3) The Flash Rogues Should’ve Been a Bigger Fixture

The Rogues, enemies of The Flash, aren’t your usual bad guys. They often straddle the line between villains and anti-heroes, displaying a sense of morality among their lawless group. Comprised of characters such as Captain Cold, Golden Glider, Mirror Master, the Top, Prankster, Weather Wizard, Heat Wave, Abra Kadabra, and Captain Boomerang, these villains have varied alignments but are most commonly recognized in this rogue’s gallery. Regrettably, despite their individual introductions within The Flash series, they never received the team-up that their storyline deserved.

In many instances, Flash was often working alongside Vibe, Arrow, Firestorm, Kid Flash, and Supergirl. This cooperation provided numerous chances for conflicts with the Rogues. However, several key members made only a single appearance in these series, while Captain Cold took on a heroic role in “Legends of Tomorrow,” culminating in a self-sacrificing act that saved White Canary’s life.

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2025-09-09 21:56